In 1890, a man collapses near the Piazza della Santa Carita in Naples, Italy. Strangers manage to revive him, but he is unable to speak. Police carry him to the nearest hospital, where he is not admitted because he has no money or identification. Frantically trying to communicate, he scribbles notes in ancient Greek and German that would have told the world about a discovery of immense importance - if anyone had read them.

People who bought this also bought...

The Prophecy

Michel de Nostredame, the French apothecary commonly known as Nostradamus, has gained a cult-like following, a loyal band of enthusiasts who credit him with predicting numerous world events - the Great Fire of London, the rise of Napoleon and Hitler, and the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima. However, his most important collection of prophetic verses has remained hidden...until now.

Sword of God

Off the coast of South Korea, a young boy discovers a cave soaked in human blood. Less than a week later, everyone in his village disappears. In Saudi Arabia, a female archaeologist unearths an artifact that threatens the very foundation of Islam. To some, it is a discovery that must be silenced at all costs.

The Secret Crown

King Ludwig II ruled Bavaria for 22 years, commissioning extravagant castles throughout his homeland and exhibiting such bizarre behavior that he was eventually declared insane. According to legend, Ludwig had stockpiled a massive cache of gold and jewels that would finance the construction of the largest castle of all time. But in the years since the king's mysterious death, no one has found any evidence of such a trove. Until now.

Sign of the Cross

On a Danish shore, a Vatican priest is found - hanging on a cross. Within days, the same crime is repeated...this time in Asia and Africa. Meanwhile, deep in the legendary Catacombs under Orvieto, Italy, an archaeologist unearths a scroll dating back 2,000 years, revealing secrets that could rock the foundations of Christianity. Its discovery makes him the most wanted criminal in all of Europe. But his most dangerous enemies operate outside the law of man...

The Death Relic

The New World, 1545: Vanquished by the Spanish Empire, little remained of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. From the ashes of their cities, a unified legend emerged: Their conquerors possessed a mysterious object, an artifact so powerful - so deadly - that it came to be known as "the Death Relic". Yucatan Peninsula, present day: When Maria Pelati's research team disappears in Mexico, she calls Jonathon Payne and David Jones, who embark on a perilous mission to find the missing archaeologists.

The Plantation

The first to disappear is a ski instructor in the secluded mountains of Colorado. Hours later, a pregnant woman is abducted from a crowded hospital. Two places, two incidents, a single motive. And so it begins....

The Einstein Pursuit

Working in secret, an acclaimed group of scientists has developed a radical new approach to modern medicine that could change everything we know about the human body and its limitations. But such knowledge does not come without risk. When their laboratory in Stockholm is attacked, it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to keep this research from reaching the masses.

The Forbidden Tomb

For nearly 2000 years, the legendary tomb of Alexander the Great -and the extraordinary riches concealed within - has remained undiscovered, but recent events may hold the key to locating the fabled vault. Only one team has what it takes to solve the mystery that has plagued historians for centuries.

The Hunters

The Team: Financed by a billionaire philanthropist, this elite team - a soldier, an historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert, and a thief - is tasked with finding the world's most legendary treasures. The Mission: Fearing a German victory in WWI, the Romanian government signed a deal with Russia to protect the country's treasures. In 1916, two trains full of gold and the most precious possessions of the Romanian state - paintings, jewelry, and ancient artifacts - were sent to the underground vaults of the Kremlin....

Pyramid: Jack Howard, Book 8

For thousands of years, Egypt was a rich, ingenious civilization. Then it became a fertile hunting ground for archaeologists and explorers. Now the streets of Cairo teem with violence as a political awakening shakes the region.

The Mask of Troy: Jack Howard, Book 5

Greece, 1876. Renowned archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann unearths the tomb of legendary King Agamemnon and makes a mind-blowing discovery. Determined to keep it secret until the time is right, he dies before it can be revealed to the world. Germany, 1945. The liberation of a concentration camp reveals clues to the lost antiquities stolen by the Nazis. But the operation is covered up after a horrific secret surfaces.

Liberty: A Dane and Bones Origins Story: Dane Maddock Origins, Book 5

September, 1787. A clandestine group of founding fathers gather to debate a decision that could change the fate of America. Once again, Navy SEALs Dane Maddock and "Bones" Bonebrake find themselves pitted against the revolutionary group, The Sons of the Republic, as they seek to unravel a centuries-old mystery. Action, thrills, and mystery abound in the exciting new Dane and Bones Origins story, Liberty.

Pharaoh: Jack Howard, Book 7

1351 BC: Akhenaten the Sun-Pharaoh rules supreme in Egypt... until the day he casts off his crown and mysteriously disappears into the desert, his legacy seemingly swallowed up by the remote sands beneath the Great Pyramids of Giza.

Electra: Dane Maddock Origins, Book 6

When searchers believe they have found the location of Amelia Earhart's crash-landing, Navy SEALs Dane Maddock and Bones Bonebrake are sent on a covert mission to locate Earhart's crashed Electra aircraft and recover its contents. But nothing is ever easy for Dane and Bones.

Old Earth

In the summer of 1601, Galileo Galilei made a startling discovery in the mountains of Eastern Italy that, if made public, could shatter faith in religion, bring down governments, and lead to worldwide turmoil. For more than 400 years, the secret has been guarded by a small group of incredibly powerful people, willing to do everything in their power to keep these discoveries from being made.

Atlantis God: Jack Howard Series, Book 6

When Jack Howard, head of the International Maritime University, and his team of adventurers return to the lost island of Atlantis in the Black Sea, they realize that they're not just on the trail of the most sought-after treasures in history but are about to uncover a surprising link between Atlantis and the 1930s expeditions of Himmler's Ahnenerbe, the Nazis' Department of Cultural Heritage.

The Tiger Warrior: Jack Howard, Book 4

The trail starts in the Roman ruins and leads to a shipwreck off the coast of Egypt. Soon the world's top marine archaeologist, Jack Howard, and his team of scientific experts and ex-Special Forces adventurers are pushing their way through the mysterious jungles of India, following in the footsteps of a legendary band of missing Roman legionnaires. Meanwhile, at a remote lake in Kyrgyzstan, a beautiful woman has found evidence of a secret knowledge that has cost the lives of countless seekers through the centuries.

The Bones of Odin: Matt Drake, Book 1

Matt Drake, a retired SAS officer, must unravel a mystery older than time in his search for the Nine Pieces of Odin. Though scattered aeons ago, it is believed that once the Pieces are reunited they will show the way to the Tomb of the Gods - the greatest archaeological find of all time.

Nazi Hunter: Atlantis: A SecondWorld Thriller

Milos Vesely, aka Cowboy, kills Nazis. After the events of SecondWorld, a failed attempt by modern Nazi forces to carry out a worldwide genocide and claim the planet for the Aryan nation, he now hunts down the enemy. Most of them are running for cover. But others, as Cowboy discovers beneath the sands of Tanis, Egypt, are searching for a way to strike again.

Predatory Instinct: A Thriller

The fossilized remains of a previously unclassified hominin species are discovered in the Altai Mountains, prompting teams of scientists from around the globe to converge upon this isolated region of Siberia in search of further evidence to corroborate the revolutionary theory that a third protohuman ancestor coexisted with Neanderthals and primitive Homo sapiens. What awaits them is anything but extinct.

Blood Infernal: The Order of the Sanguines Series

As an escalating scourge of grisly murders sweeps the globe, archaeologist Erin Granger must decipher the truth behind an immortal prophecy foretold in the Blood Gospel, a tome written by Christ and lost for centuries: The shackles of Lucifer have been loosened, and his Chalice remains lost. It will take the light of all three to forge the Chalice anew and banish him again to his eternal darkness.

Hell Ship: A Dane and Bones Origins Story, Book 2

When Navy SEAL Dane Maddock and his squad are sent to find the wreckage of a sunken World War II Japanese "Hell Ship", they find themselves caught up in a deadly race to solve an 800 year old mystery. Can Dane and Bones outrun, outfight, and outwit a cadre of deadly adversaries and find the key to unlock the deadly secret of the Knights Templar? Sunken ships, conspiracies, secret societies, historical mysteries, and all the action you can handle!

Cannibal: Jack Sigler, Book 7

Still recovering from the tragic loss of a good friend, Jack Sigler, callsign: King, leads the Chess Team - a crew of former Delta operators - back into action. But what should be a routine snatch-and-grab to capture a drug cartel leader escalates out of control, throwing the team into a challenge unlike anything they've ever faced.

The Forgotten Room: A Novel

New York Times best seller Lincoln Child returns with a riveting new thriller featuring the charismatic and quirky Professor Jeremy Logan, renowned investigator of the strange and the inexplicable, as he uncovers a long-lost secret experiment only rumored to have existed.

Publisher's Summary

In 1890, a man collapses near the Piazza della Santa Carita in Naples, Italy. Strangers manage to revive him, but he is unable to speak. Police carry him to the nearest hospital, where he is not admitted because he has no money or identification. Frantically trying to communicate, he scribbles notes in ancient Greek and German that would have told the world about a discovery of immense importance - if anyone had read them...

Reaching from the wonders of ancient Greece to a harrowing quest in modern-day Europe, The Lost Throne features Jonathon Payne and D. J. Jones former members of a top secret, very special unit of the armed forces. Now as private citizens they still get recruited from time to time for the most delicate - and dangerous - missions. Payne and Jones must race to recover the lost treasure that could rewrite history, before it is destroyed by a group of men who will stop at nothing to conceal the secret.

I liked this fourth Kuzneski thriller the best so far. I enjoyed the idea of using the Greek monastery from the James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only" in the plot. Kuzneski brings two independent ongoing investigations of the same crime together in the story's exciting denouement. The relationship between the two main characters -- Jonathan Payne and David Jones -- has developed since the beginning of the series, so that they not only save the world, but provide comic relief in the process. Even Dick Hill's reading, which previously annoyed me in earlier audiobooks, has improved. He is now providing excellent voices and accents without over-acting the way he used to. Altogether, I recommend "The Lost Throne" to anyone who likes well-researched, well-written thrillers.

I liked this fourth Kuzneski thriller the best so far. I enjoyed the idea of using the Greek monastery from the James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only" in the plot. Kuzneski brings two independent ongoing investigations of the same crime together in the story's exciting denouement. The relationship between the two main characters -- Jonathan Payne and David Jones -- has developed since the beginning of the series, so that they not only save the world, but provide comic relief in the process. Even Dick Hill's reading, which previously annoyed me in earlier audiobooks, has improved. He is now providing excellent voices and accents without over-acting the way he used to. Altogether, I recommend "The Lost Throne" to anyone who likes well-researched, well-written thrillers.

Despite a few places where the violence and gore are a little too much for my tastes, this was an easy, enjoyable listen.
No great literature; it won't change your life, but if you have some tedious task to preform (I was loading a kiln) it will improve the experience.
The narrator was good and character voices were distinct which helps me follow the dialogue and change in location.

Kuzneski has written a seriously non-formulaic actioner. The premise is pretty much hidden from the listener until well into the book, but that is not a problem since the action and the characters drive the plot. There's a compelling - real world/not so real world - mix of story lines which all converge without strain. I enjoyed The Lost Throne and will listen to more of Kuzneski (who uses his own name in a character's mispronounced reference to the unibomber - clever and funny).

I do get a bit tired of the Payne as lone ranger and Jones as Tonto routine. Also, spartan armor under NO circumstances is bullet proof, especially at close range. Stupid. Also, as usual no one has night vision etc. Hell im not a secret spy and i have a cheapo night vision scope. Fairly accurate portrayal but the idea of the Spartans still existing in modern day Greece and so forth is a bit loony. Probably my last Kuzneski book, at least for now, and okay book and the writers comments at the beginning and end are always interesting in any book. Always interested in the "making of" type shows and this is fun. Good general story and narration.

Dick Hill and Chris Kuzneski team up to produce a darn good historical thriller. Rather than the usual Catholic church related intrigues of many contemporary thrillers, this one takes place all over Europe excluding Italy. As such, it lends itself to abit more interest, learning and fun.
Somewhat violent in places, it held my interest to the end, and the narration is up to Hill's usual fine standards.
Worth it for what it is for , which is entertainment!

Chris Kuzenski shares some really interesting historical facts that I knew nothing about. So I learned some new things about ancient Greece and the Byzantine era. I also loved the non-stop action.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved the interaction between Payne and Jones. Lots of humor and a great team with an almost psychic bond that aids them in their adventures.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Dick Hill?

Unfortunately, some of my favorite writers use Dick Hill as a narrator. I don't care for his narrations, but what can you do? He is fine on "he-man" type of voices, but terrible on voices that require an accent or are another gender. They come out sounding whiney and squeaky and very annoying. It boggles my mind that he narrates so many books. I have actually returned some books that he completely ruined the story by his narration. In my opinion he ranks as one of the worst narrators.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

High adventure and ancient secrets.

Any additional comments?

I had read a book several years back whose author and title I couldn't remember, but really loved. I searched around on Audible trying to find it and when I found that this one took place in Greece (which was the setting of the one I read before) I purchased it. When I had listened for awhile, it seemed to veer off to Russia and so I thought that I had purchased the wrong book and returned it. Later I did some research on the internet and found out that, indeed, this was the book. So I repurchased it and patiently progressed through it,until it returned to the setting in Greece ( Mount Athos) that I found so intriguing. I wasn't disappointed. This is one of the best adventure stories I've read/listened to and I will definitely purchase the others in the series. Besides lots of great history, non-stop action, globe trotting adventure, and interesting characters, there is lots of humor which is a must for me. The only down side is that it is narrated poorly.

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.